The even mention of arming Gards in response to protesters really ratchets up the situation.

You think a normal government would call for elections instead of deciding not only to circle the wagons, but start arming a normally unarmed police force in efforts to stamp out protests.

Who is threatening violence here?

It would appear FG/LAB have decided anyone who is not with them is against them and they are willing to have such citizens murdered to push their new taxes through for the EU and bondholders.

How can they say they have a mandate when they are now insinuating the act of shooting Irish citizens?

Arming Gardai to deal with protests obviously is attacking the symptom rather than the cause. I don't think there is any suggestion of arming Gardai with fire arms? This would be a tactic out of a defunct eastern block country rather than a democracy.

As for mandate, the government could, rightly, point out that opinion polls on the water issue are far from conclusive.

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